Restaurant Review // Comptoir102 Dubai

The last time I was in Dubai, I had the pleasure of eating at Comptoir 102. I hadn’t heard of it before the end of 2015 but it’s been open for a couple of years now. I’m extremely health conscious and I’d definitely consider myself a foodie so when I heard that there was a healthy café in Dubai, I was compelled to go and try it out. So I have shifted my diet to a vegan diet, which excludes all meat, dairy and animal products – just for those who don’t know. However, when I was eating at Comptoir 102 I was following a vegetarian diet, which is the reason for the cheese in some of the dishes I ordered.

When entering the café and concept store, I was really impressed with the décor and interior design – you could tell that the owners had really put a lot of effort into creating the space and that they had a very specific idea of what style they wanted. It screamed organic to me with the use of bamboo and natural lighting everywhere. I decided to go and sit outside at the back and began reading over all the delicious meals and drinks that they had to offer on their menu.

I highly recommend Comptoir 102 to anyone and everyone! If you’re health-conscious, this is your go-to place to eat out in Dubai. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, I’d definitely urge you to pay Comptoir 102 a visit. It’s evident that the team here are dedicated in encouraging a healthy, happy and fulfilled lifestyle to all of their customers. The staff are so kind and the atmosphere is unbelievably positive and clean. I was greeted by everyone I gave eye-contact to and asked how I was and even wished a pleasant day. The dishes are so carefully thought out and prepared, I will always be happy paying my money to eat here because you really are provided with a uniquely impressive experience. I’m definitely going to return here and I can’t wait to start bringing all my friends and family.

There was so much to choose from and I wanted to try everything. I felt exactly how I feel when I walk into a whole-foods store, I just wanted to get everything because there was so much benefit to my health from every single meal. Not to mention the intricately constructed juices and teas that they had to offer – I think I ordered around two of each.

So I started off with the Pita Sandwiches, which were organic wholewheat pita bread filled with tomato, avocado, cucumber, spring onions and a tahini dressing. I also added feta and activated walnuts, which were the cherry on top of these gems. I highly recommend these for everyone – in fact I don’t think I need to say that as I’d highly recommend everything that Comptoir 102 have to offer. The next selection that I went for was the Lentil & Celeriac Salad; these had puy lentils, tossed with roasted celery root, roasted hazelnuts and fresh mint. I’m a sucker for lentils because they’re so high in lean protein potassium, calcium, zinc, niacin and vitamin K, but are particularly rich in dietary fibre, folate and iron. The celery root was not what I expected but it gave a really unique texture to the salad that I really enjoyed.

The drinks that I went for with my first two selections were the Matcha Green Tea, because I’m matcha-obsessed and the Black Lemonade. The matcha green tea and all teas and coffees are dairy free so they’re suitable for all vegans! The black lemonade is made up of activated charcoal, lemon juice and maple syrup. I have to point out that everything they make is refined-sugar-free too, so basically anything you consume here is only going to benefit your insides.

Pita Sandwiches – AED 55

Lentil & Celeriac Salad – Specials Menu (1 Starter + 1 Main = AED 95)

Matcha Green Tea – AED 35

Black Lemonade – AED 18

Afterwards, I wanted to try out the Vegetable Sandwich. This is created from cereal bread that grasps zucchini, tomato, spinach, eggplant, tahini and pepper. This sandwich was extremely hearty – probably just as hearty as the pita sandwiches, only with a crunchier texture to the bread. Next on the list is the Pumpkin Curry with Wild Rice – another super hearty dish. This is made of butternut squash, tomatoes and spinach in a coconut curry broth, served with organic wild rice.

The last meal that I selected, and this is the only one I physically couldn’t finish, was the Buckwheat Soba with Sautéed Spinach & Kale. I was pretty glad that I wasn’t able to finish eating this the next day. The traditional Japanese buckwheat soba noodles are tossed with sesame oil, sautéed kale, spinach and ginger topped with avocado and black gomasio, which is kind of like a dried Japanese sesame spice. The drinks I ate with these three were the black lemonade and the Skin Glow, which is pomegranate, cucumber, apple and acai.

For dessert, I couldn’t resist trying both desserts from the specials menu. The Matcha Mousse, which is a delicious mix of cashew and green-tea powder, topped with fresh and organic raspberries and kiwi. I also had the Choco Petit Pot, which was a delicious chocolate ganache made from pure cacao powder. Both desserts are sugar and dairy-free and definitely satisfied my sweet tooth.